Caster.



G. WJBENT.

4 GASTBR,

APPLICATION FILED MAYS,1909.

Patented May 24, 1910.

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GEORGE W. BENT, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

CASTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 24, 1910.

Application iiled May 8, 1909. Serial No. 494,926.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. BENT, a citizen of the United States, residing in Cambridge, `county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Casters, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a hollow post having attached thereto a socket piece for the reception of the pintle of a caster, and more particularly to the hollow legs or posts of a metallic bed.

In the manufacture of metallic beds and especially iron beds, the parts comprising the bed frame are usually painted white, which is commonly effected by dipping the parts of the bed-frame into a bath of paint of suiiicient depth to cover the entire frame. Before dipping the head and foot frames, the sockets for the casters are attached to the legs or posts and in order to prevent waste of paint, the sockets have inserted into them wooden plugs, which are removed after the posts or legs have been dipped. This method of preventing waste of paint is not entirely satisfactory, on account of the time and labor required to remove the wooden plugs and further because a tight t is not always obtained, which permits some of the paint to get into the socket and foul the same, with attending loss of paint and defective working of the caster.

The present invention has for its object to overcome the objections above noted, and to provide a closure for the socket, which effects a liquid-tight joint and prevents waste of paint and also fouling of the socket, and which remains as a protection for the socket until the caster is applied to the leg or post, and which is capable of being forced into the socket by the pintle of the caster when the latter is applied to thepost or leg.

The closure for the socket may be made in the form of a disk of leather or other suitable material, which is of substantially the diameter of the socket so as to fit the same liquid-tight and be capable of being forced bodily up into the socket by the pintle of the caster, or which may be made of paper or like material capable of being punctured by the pintle when the latter is inserted into the socket.

Figure 1 is an elevation of a bed frame embodying this invention. Fig. 2, a detail in section of the leg and socket shown in Fig. 1 with the closure in its operative position. Fig. 3, a similar section with the caster in operative position, and Fig. 4C, a modification to be referred to.

Referring to the drawings, a represents a head or foot frame of a metallic bed having hollow legs or posts I), each provided with a caster c, which has its pintle d inserted into a socket piece e extended up into the hollow leg and centered therein as hereinshown by a bushing or sleeve f inserted into the hollow leg and by a cap g having an upturned iiange L, which frictionally engages the exterior surface of the leg.

y The socket piece c is extended through the cap g with a tight fit and is provided with a i ange c' at its end outside of the cap, and between said flange and the cap, the socket piece has iitted on it a washer y'.

The socket piece c, the bushing f fitted thereon, and the cap g are designed to be secured to the hollow post or leg before the latter is painted by immersing it in a bath of paint (not shown), and the present invention has for its object to provide a closure for the socket piece c so as to prevent the paint passing up into the same and thereby avoid loss of paint, and fouling of the socket piece, while permitting the said closure to be displaced by the act of inserting the pintle into the socket piece.

In Figs. 2 and 3, one form of closure for the socket piece is shown, which form may be preferred, and which consists of a disk 10 of leather or other suitable material of substantial thickness, which is of substantially the diameter of the socket piece and is designed to be inserted into the lower end of the same to form a liquid tight joint, which effectively prevents the passage of the liquid paiiit up into the socket piece when the leg or post is immersed in the bath of paint, and which remains in this position after the paint is dried, and in this condition the bed-frame may be shipped by the manufacturer to the dealer or purchaser, who can allow it to remain in this condition until the bed is set up, thereby protecting the socket piece from dirt.

IVhen it is desired to apply the casters to the bed-frame, it is only necessary to insert the pintle Z in its socket piece e in the usual manner, whereupon the disk l0 is forced up into the socket piece by said pintle as represented in Fig. 3.

struction shown.

On its passage up into the socket piece, the disk 10 acts to clean the walls of the socket piece, thereby insuring free rotary movement of the pintle in the socket piece and consequently providing for an easy working caster,

It may be preferred to make the closure in the form of a disk l() of leather or other suit-able material of substantial thickness and of substantially the diameter of the@ socket piece, but it is not desired to limiti the invention in this respect, as the closure may be made in the form of a disk 12 of paper or other substantially thin puncture'- able material, which is adhesively aixed to a the outside of the cap as represented ini Fig. 4 and which is capable of being punc4 tured by the pintle when the latter is inserted into said socket piece, the 'said pintle forcing the punctured portion of the diski up into the socket piece.

The closure for the socket piece is herein 3 shown as applied to one construction of socket piece and parts for attaching the same i to the hollow leg, but it is not desired to I limit the invention to the particular con- Claims.

l. The combination with a hollow metal leg or post, of a socket piece of smaller diameter inserted therein, means to attach said socket piece to said leg or post, and a closure for the lower end of said socket piece capable of being forced up into the socket piece by the pintle of a caster, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a hollow metal vleg or post, of 'a socket piece of lsnmller diameter inserted therein, means to attach said socket piece to said le*i or post, and a 'disk of substantially the iameter of the socket piece inserted therein to lclose the lower end thereof and capable of being bod ily moved into the socket piece by the pintle of the `caster inserted into the Asocle-t piece, substantially as described-.-

In testimony whereof, I have signed my f name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE W. BENT. Witnesses:

CHARLES NEvoUs, D. WILsoN Mormrr. 

